Now that the NFL, the richest sports league in the world, sits unchallenged atop American sports, that lofty perch raises its own questions: How can you sustain growth and popularity without falling prey to complacency—or greed? How do you further grow a successful league while fending off platform decay and lawsuits? What threats are out there, and what are the league’s tactics to defang them? What are some unchartered territories for the league? In its annual NFL preview, Sportico analyzes how the NFL handles life as a monopoly. Click here to read the series.
Major legal and business decisions loom for the NFL’s broadcasting arrangements as the 2026 season approaches.
It’s not an overstatement to say billions of dollars—and how out-of-town fans watch games—are on the line.
At any moment, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit could uphold or reverse a federal judge’s controversial decision in 2024 to wipe out a multibillion-dollar class-action jury verdict against the NFL.
The 9th Circuit could affirm the legality of how NFL teams pool broadcasting rights for out-of-town games through Sunday Ticket, which costs fans up to $480 through YouTube TV. It’s an even more expensive product for restaurants and bars that display Sunday Ticket on their televisions. For them, it can cost thousands of dollars, depending on fire-code occupancy (the number of people allowed in an establishment).
